‘Must-see’ European tourist attraction to close for 14 years over safety fears
A POPULAR European tourist attraction will close for 14 years as it undergoes refurbishment.
The Pergamon Museum in Berlin will close its doors on October 23, 2023, as part of a £1.5billion refurbishment project.
Set on Museum Island in the German capital, the Pergamon Museum first opened in 1930.
It was specifically designed to house a collection of historical artefacts including the Pergamon Altar as well as a reconstruction of Babylon’s Ishtar Gate.
Since its opening the museum has been described as a “must-see” attraction by both travel experts and holidaymakers alike.
But earlier this year, the museum announced its plans to close as part of a huge refurbishment project dubbed the “Museumsinsel Master Plan”.
According to the German outlet Deutsche Welle, the building is in “poor structural condition” and has been deemed unfit for both visitors and exhibitions.
The extensive repairs are estimated to cost £1.6bmillion, as reported by the Telegraph.
And Time Out has reported that some of the museum’s collections and pieces will be on display at other locations.
There are plans for the museum to partially reopen in 2027, but other parts aren’t expected to reopen until 2037.
And fans of the museum expressed their shock of the closure on social media.
One person tweeted: “I thought it was a joke.”
And another person wrote: “Oh my god, 14 years is an awful long time for a museum or even a section of it to stay closed.”
Meanwhile, other holidaymakers were relieved that they’d be able to visit the museum before it closed.
In a post on Facebook, one tourist wrote: “I swung by the Pergamon Museum, which I’m especially glad of now because it’s closing for renovations until 2027.”
In a bid to welcome more tourists before its closure, the museum has introduced extended opening hours.
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Despite being closed on Mondays, the Pergamon Museum will be open from 9.00am until 7.00pm from Tuesday to Sunday.
Entry tickets into the museum cost €12 (£10.32) for a fully-paying adult and €6 (£5.17) for a reduced-price ticket.
Meanwhile, other popular attractions in Europe are looking to reduce the number of visitors in a bid to tackle over-tourism.
Villa del Balbianello in Lake Como will significantly cut the number of tourists who can visit each day from 2,000 to 1,200.
And a Brit holiday hotspot in Greece has announced a major rule change too.
Visits to the Acropolis of Athens, one of Greece’s most popular archaeological sites will be capped from next month at 20,000 tourists daily.